IPN interview
In 22 years of independence, the Republic of Moldova formed itself as a recognized subject of the international relations, was accepted as a fully-fledged member in the most important international and regional organizations, built beneficial diplomatic relations with the neighboring states, the traditional partners and the development ones, and opened embassies in over 30 countries, with Chisinau hosting practically the same number of embassies. But what is essential is that the Republic of Moldova set the European integration as objective for itself and the whole world, putting an end to the oscillating character of its foreign policy. These assessments were made by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Natalia Gherman in an interview for IPN.
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- Missis Natalia Gherman, we reached the 22nd year of independence. Will you assess the country’s development in the foreign policy area?
- The 22 years of independence surely represent a maturity age. Moldova built itself as an independent and democratic state and has come closer to the EU over the last few years, having a reform agenda that ultimately follows the European integration objective. We are joining the community with which we share the same values. We are integrating gradually in the EU institutions. Moldova is an active member of a number of international organizations, such as the UN, the Council of Europe, the OSCE and such regional organizations as the South East Europe Cooperation Process (SEECP) and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC). Even if the European integration is the internal and foreign policy objective of Moldova, our country manages to strengthen the relations with the neighbors and the traditional partners. We are developing new diplomatic partnerships with a number of countries with a view to promoting and protecting the national interests.
- What steps forward and what steps backward were taken?
- I would like to confess that in the diplomatic activity I remain a supporter of well-though-out steps, with prospects, taken with tenacity and increased responsibility. The foreign policy is mainly determined by the internal agenda. On the other hand, there are external circumstances that modify the agenda of the bilateral and multilateral relations of a country. If looking retrospectively, we will see that on the foreign dimension our country often faced strategic choices that determined the oscillating character of the foreign policy during many years. I don’t think that somebody sees benefits in such an approach today. Our foreign partners from the West and the East, the neighbors and our citizens surely want our country to have transparent, predictable and coherent foreign policy.
We have an active bilateral diplomatic agenda not only with the EU member states, but also with the U.S. I want to note that we pay increased attention to building special relations with our immediate neighbors - Romania and Ukraine. We have a good traditional relationship with Russia and other CIS member states. We make effort to make full use of the bilateral relations with Turkey, China and Japan. We will more intensely develop our relations with Canada. We initiated a process to develop our diplomatic relations with a number of countries from the Middle East and Asia.
So, during these years we managed to establish diplomatic relations with over 100 states. We now have active embassies in most of the EU member states, which aim to promote our national interests and to protect the rights of our citizens. We have 37 embassies and diplomatic representative offices of Moldova abroad and 32 embassies and diplomatic representative offices of international organizations working in Chisinau. In 2013, our county opened embassies in the Netherlands, Canada and Qatar. The Embassy of Slovakia was opened recently in Chisinau. I think this is a significant result. We are in a continuous extension process and we do not forget about the necessity of interacting with the communities of Moldovans abroad and about the commercial-economic interests of Moldova.
- Can you enumerate some of the events in the 22 years that you consider marked the development of Moldova in the field of foreign affairs? How did they mark?
- First of all, I will mention the recognition of our country’s independence, the accession to the UN, the Council of Europe and the OSCE. It is exactly the period when I started my career in the diplomatic service of Moldova. The appearance of the Transnistrian conflict and, afterward, the process of solving it also marked the agenda of our diplomatic service at foreign level. I want to note only one key moment that lays at the basis of this process, namely the creation of the 5+2 format, which includes the EU and the U.S. This gives not only increased transparency to the process, but also a better perspective of finding a durable solution, by observing he sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova. We have the EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM), which works on the Transnistrian segment of the border too.
Another event that I consider important is the adoption of the legal framework on cooperation and partnership with the EU in 1994. Today, our relationship with the EU develops rapidly. Over the last four years, Moldova has held the lead in the EU’s Eastern Partnership.
Currently, we maintain a deep and extended political dialogue with the EU institutions and the current member states. I will only mention the visits paid by the European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. There is a permanent dialogue with the European Commissioners and other high-rankling officials of the EU member states. We even have a Friendship Group for the European Action of Moldova at the level of EU foreign affairs ministers, headed by Romania and France. Moreover, we set a cooperation framework between Moldova and the EU as regards the security and defense policy, which enables us to take part in the EU Crisis Management Mission and to receive assistance in implementing reforms in the justice sector and the internal affairs bodies.
The sector cooperation with the EU is also extensive. I would like to mention only several examples that offer new opportunities for the country and the people. Last year, there was signed an agreement on Moldova joining the European Common Aviation Area that allows low-cost companies to have access to the Moldovan market. The first WizzAir flight to Italy will be launched in September. Moldova is already an associate member of the EU research program FP7. As a member of the European Energy Community, Moldova will take steps to reform its energy system in order to ensure the energy security of the country. This year, on the Independence Day, we will start the construction works on Ungheni – Iasi gas pipeline, which is probably one of the most important European projects until now. It is only a first result that was possible owing to a better coordination at national level of the internal priorities, correlated with the foreign priorities of Moldova.
- Which are the shortcomings in this field?
- When I speak about short6ocmings, I always try to analyze what we succeeded to do and what we didn’t, what factors determined certain evolutions and involutions. I think that I already partially answered this question. I mean the oscillating foreign policy typical of a period of our history. I hope we will definitely overcome the period of parallel diplomatic agendas. The most important thing for me is for Moldova to have one foreign policy course, known in Brussels, Moscow, Berlin, Washington or Tokyo.
- How did the perception of Moldova of those from abroad change in the 22 years of independence?
- If you refer to the perceptions of our foreign partners, it probably depends directly on the successes we achieved at internal and foreign levels. Today the international community knows better Moldova. We are not regarded as a former Soviet republic affected by a frozen conflict. Moldova is a European country that is in the process of adjusting itself to the European standards and values and that aspires to become an EU member. Our option is respected in the West and the East. We became a regional political player that not only benefits from European and international assistance in implementing projects, but already contributes to the development of the law enforcement institutions in other countries by the gained experience. For example, over the last five years, we gained unique experience of cooperating in the field of migration with the EU member states, within the Moldova –EU Mobility Partnership. Together with the European Commission, we are promoting this model in Georgia, Armenia, Tunis, Morocco and other countries from the EU’s neighborhood. A more recent example is the invitation to take part in the EU Integrated Border Management Assistance Mission in Libya.
If you refer to the perception of the Moldovans who are abroad, I want to believe that it evolved positively. Today, our consular service is present in the countries where there are large communities of Moldovans. We facilitate the strengthening of ties within the community and with the country. We identify opportunities for our people to return home. We provide consular services to our people in Chisinau too. We create conditions for facilitating the obtaining of visas. I refer first of all to the visa facilitation agreement with the EU and the opening of the Common Visa Issuing Center in Chisinau, where our people can obtain visas for 16 European states. We launched a Call Center at the Foreign Ministry, which works round-the-clock and can provide answers and assistance to our people wherever they are.
- What measures should the authorities and society take for the country to develop better in this area?
- Wants should we do in the immediate future? For me the answer is simple. We must continue the reforms that contribute to the transformation of our country based on the best and most efficient development model known until now – the European Union. I would like to speak about the objectives of our country’s European agenda before and after the Vilnius EaP Summit.
We are close to initialing the Association Agreement with the EU, which provides for the creation of a common Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area. Immediately after the summit, there will be initiated formal procedures to prepare the signing of the agreement the next year. This agreement in fact lays the basis of the political association and economic integration with the European community. It is a new qualitative stage in our relationship with the EU.
Another objective on which we have worked for many years is the liberalization of visas for Moldovans who want to travel to the EU member states. The Foreign Ministry is the institution that coordinates this process. We are at an advances stage of implementing the Moldovan-EU visa liberalization plan. If we manage to do the last homework over the next few months, before the Vilnius Summit, we have chances to finish the implementation of the conditions so that the EU launches the procedures for taking a decision on visas in 2014.
Before the final conclusion, I want to refer to those who daily contribute to the promotion of the national interests and, in general, of the foreign policy – the country’s diplomatic corps.
Over the last few years, we managed to create a system for professionally forming our diplomats, by clear employment and training procedures, including in the specialized education institutions abroad. There is already a nucleus consisting of highly professional specialists, with experience obtained in Moldova’s embassies. Many of my colleagues worked in international organizations and regional bodies. The best prepared candidates are chosen for the diplomatic service. We have negotiators with experience, specialists in international law who are negotiating all the international treaties with Moldova and who are now involved in the process of harmonizing Moldova’s legislation with the EU norms and standards. The diplomatic service is permanently developing. Among our objectives is to strengthen such areas as the economic diplomacy and energy diplomacy.
In conclusion, I want to say that we have a lot of work to do to promote the reforms, which imply costs and sacrifices. The success of these reforms depends on the capacity of whole society to make sacrifices and to bring about the change in the name of a more prosperous and safer future for everyone.
Irina Ţurcanu, IPN
